The economic value of cultural ecosystems services provided by green care in selected European countries

As modern industrialised societies become more urbanised, digitalised, and detached from nature, they face increasing health pressures due to the rise in lifestyle related non-communicable disease (NCDs). Within this context, nature is being increasingly recognised for its potential in alleviating some of these health issues linked with modern lifestyles. It is now well accepted that nature provides vital health services in addition to other ecosystem services. Moreover, the benefits of nature exposure and outdoor recreation for health purposes have become increasingly apparent in public health debates. In this context, innovative approaches such as Green Care (GC) are being developed to apply these findings, promoting nature exposure for improved human health and wellbeing. Despite increasing research on the physical and psychological benefits of spending time in nature and the growing popularity of GC interventions, there remains a lack of evidence from an economic perspective. This thesis directly addresses this research gap and aims to provide novel information from an economic perspective on GC in two European countries, namely Italy and Austria. Firstly, potential methods for the valuation of GC are identified and evaluated. Secondly, economic values for voluntary self-motivated GC and nature-based therapy (targeted GC) are estimated using two of the identified methods, namely the life satisfaction approach and the contingent valuation method. Thirdly, within the framework of a clinical trial for nature-based therapy, costs are identified, estimated, and compared to the value of the benefits. The results provide preliminary estimates for the economic value of GC activities in two European countries, supporting policy makers. This thesis contributes to the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals: 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages; 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; and 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.